Vice President JD Vance spoke on Fox News following President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, outlining the administration’s plan to aggressively investigate government fraud and misallocation of federal funds. Trump officially announced last night that Vance would lead a new “War on Fraud,” a government-wide effort to identify misuse of taxpayer money and redirect resources toward American citizens.
President Trump announces VP Vance will be LEADING the administration’s war on fraud:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) February 25, 2026
“I am officially announcing the war on fraud to be led by our great Vice President JD Vance…We're going to take care of this problem. We are not playing games.” 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/kxKf2NNAtg
In the interview, Vance emphasized that billions of dollars intended for citizens have instead been directed to illegal immigrants and other fraudulent programs. “It is billions of dollars that should go to American citizens. It is going to illegal aliens,” Vance said. He outlined a broad approach that includes investigations by the Department of Justice, income tax audits, and scrutiny of programs where fraud has been overlooked or enabled by government officials.
Vice President Vance on his new role leading the Trump Administration's War on Fraud:
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) February 25, 2026
“The American citizens were ripped off by people who shouldn’t be here, and by politicians who should have known better…we're going to try to uncover as much as possible.”🔥 pic.twitter.com/xl4flBS0S8
Vance stressed that the effort will focus on uncovering how government resources meant for Americans have been diverted. “How many fraudulent daycare centers have been set up that money should go to American citizens to help kids get into childcare? Instead stolen from them by illegal aliens in our country,” he said. Vance also raised concerns about complicity among officials, suggesting that some may have benefited from campaign donations linked to those profiting from fraudulent programs.
The vice president described the initiative as both urgent and ongoing. “The president has asked me to take a full whole government approach to try to understand that. We’ll work on that very aggressively over the next year,” he said, noting that the effort will extend beyond a single year as the administration seeks to uncover as much fraud as possible.
The announcement follows Trump’s State of the Union address, which Vance described as a celebration of American achievement while highlighting harsh partisan divides. Vance criticized Democrats for not standing in support of a principle he described as fundamental: that the American government’s first duty is to protect its citizens. He said, “Most Democrats didn’t stand up or clap. What a shame that is and a sad commentary on the Democratic Party. The American government should stand for American citizens, not illegal aliens — shouldn’t be controversial.”
Trump praised Vance during the address, stating that his leadership in the fraud investigation would allow the administration to identify misuse of government resources and potentially achieve a balanced federal budget. Vance’s remarks underscored that the initiative will be systematic and comprehensive, targeting fraud across federal programs with the goal of protecting taxpayer money.
With the announcement, the administration is signaling a major focus on financial oversight and accountability for the coming year, framing the effort as a core part of its domestic agenda ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
